What you need to know first!
Great you’ve decided to get a pet! Dog or cat, rabbit or rat you need to do some homework first. This is why this handout exists, because I have so many clients that fell in love with their pet and didn’t think about potential problems. You have a lot to think about. There are so many species we invite into our homes to take care of as our family pet. I will deal with the most common.
Ask yourself these questions;
- Can I afford the price of this pet and all the equipment that I will need to make it happy in my home?
- How much will routine worming, grooming, insurance, feeding, neutering and Vets fees cost to keep my pet healthy?
- Can your lifestyle make allowances for the time your pet will take up?
- Is my home suitable for my choice of species or breed?
- Does everyone in the family agree with my choice?
- Does anyone in the family have an allergy that may be aggravated by my choice of pet?
What to look for when choosing a puppy.
Choose the breed wisely. You have to take into consideration your lifestyle and where you live. Great Danes don’t do very well in one-bedroom 6th floor flats! Nor does any breed when their owner is out at work all day. Dogs don’t need space they need time. Your puppy needs to be taught how to live with the humans in their life. He will grow into an adult dog and may be with you for up to 17yrs, so you need to make sure your dog is the one for you!
MAKE SURE YOU SEE THE PARENTS IF YOU ARE BUYING A PUPPY!
It is so important that you see both the parents and where the puppies are living, and the breeders set up. This will give you an idea of the adult dog you are inviting to live with you and your family. Be aware of the breeder that meets you half way if you have to travel a distance to choose your puppy, no matter how nice they sound. Are they trying to hide something? This is especially important if you are to trust your dog with children. Things to look for
- Make sure the puppies are all clean and happy, a home environment is best, as the puppies will be used to all the noise and smells that may also be in your own home.
- Is the breeder selling lots of puppies and breeds? Do they have the parent dogs on site? If so this may be the sign of a puppy farm if so WALK AWAY. Puppy farms are illegal in the UK and for good reason. Breeders churn out litter after litter from their brood bitches without a thought about the dogs, puppies, environment, health and behaviour. These puppies and their Mothers are usually kept in barns or sheds without social human contact so they are usually fearful and shy around people. Some puppies remain nervous all their life and many become aggressive and will bite. DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR THE PUPPY AND TAKE IT HOME you are putting your children at risk. This is also how these places can exist. The people who sell puppies this way rely on your emotions and they survive to supply pet shops and other retail outlets.
- Think about how you will treat your new puppy and does the breeder treat them as you would?
- Take your puppy home between 7 to 8 weeks old. Dogs are open to learning about their surroundings and positive exposure to their environment at this age. After 12 weeks your puppy is less open to learning about the environment.
- Make sure you have a vaccination certificate signed by a Vet. This shows that your puppy has been Vet checked and has been passed healthy enough to be vaccinated. The letters MRCVS and/or MVB and also the practice stamp should follow the Vets signature.
- Take your puppy to your Vet as soon as you can after taking the puppy home for health check.
- Make sure that you ask the breeder lots of questions about your puppy such as;
- What is he fed? How often and how much? How often should the puppy be professionally groomed etc? is he housetrained? Wormed? Been Vet checked? Socialised with people?
- It would be a good idea to ask for the phone number of someone who has already bought a puppy then you can talk to them to find out how their puppy is.
- Talk to your Vet practice. These are the people who deal with breeders and they should be able to give you good advice as to what to look for in your chosen breed in your area
Check with the Irish Kennel club for a list of pure breeds, but be aware that the Kennel Club DO NOT visit breeders to check on the standard of care and socialisation of the dogs and puppies.
Check all paperwork and if in doubt do not sign anything. Be aware of a breeder that won’t let you neuter or spay your dog and that wants the first litter. Puppy farmers are in the business to make money, as much money as possible; they rarely spend it on Vets fees, flea and worming treatment and think very little of any physical or genetic problems they will be passing onto the puppies. Make sure you see the parents and if not find out exactly why you cannot. If there is a problem with your puppy any good breeder will be prepared to help. A puppy bought from a good breeder will come from a friendly, caring, healthy background and make a much better pet. Take along a qualified professional dog trainer or behaviourist if you have any reservations. Puppy farmed puppies have mental health and behavioural issues, as well as physical health problems. You should be prepared for heartbreak and large Vets bills.
All of these basic rules apply to any species kittens, rabbits, reptiles and birds. Pet shops may be supplied with animals from rabbit and guinea pig farms and may have health problems that you will end up paying for. It is better to get a pet from a welfare group or private owner.
You are inviting a different species into your home to live with your family. Think carefully about the behaviour and size of the breed you have chosen ESPECIALLY if there are children around.
When you do find your pet there is nothing like the unconditional companionship a pet gives. It is well documented in medical papers that stroking a well-socialised friendly pet lowers blood pressure and reduces stress. Walking your dog keeps you fit, and attending training classes is a great way to meet like-minded people. A good pet can also teach children life lessons. Pets teach them to cope with the responsibilities of care, bereavement and of course love. Many children benefit from having a pet to care for.
Should you need any advice on buying a pet contact us or many of the welfare groups around the country. They all have pets needing loving homes and will be supportive as long as you have your rescued pet. Rescuing a pet instead of buying one bred to be sold can be much more rewarding for both you and your rescue.
A pet is a friend for life!
Bev Truss DipCABT (http://www.coape.co.uk qualified Companion Animal Behaviourist)
Taken with permission from http://petproblems.net/
